CHAPTER TWO
Edward
We climbed the stairs, and the doors opened for us as if they were automatic.
I wondered if the liveried man who held it for us just stood there all day waiting for Garrison to come home.
I tried to smile at him, but he looked right through me.
We entered the foyer, and my eyes were drawn up to the domed ceiling from which a truly enormous chandelier hung.
Sunlight danced off the crystals on the huge light fixture, casting prisms over much of the walls.
We were soon greeted by a slim, elegant woman. She was exceptionally beautiful. She had a tasteful blonde bob and big blue eyes. She’d clearly been waiting for him. “Hey hon,” she said, hurrying over to Garrison. He wrapped her in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet for a big kiss.
I looked away. I felt awkward witnessing their display of affection, like a voyeur or something. They seemed comfortable with it, though.
It was clear she was his age, and that they loved each other. It was nice to see, and I couldn’t hide a smile. I hated seeing rich old guys with wives who were obviously young enough to be their daughters. Or granddaughters.
Finally, she walked over to me. “Edward, it’s so nice to meet you. Garrison has told me all about you.”
He had? I’d been chasing this account for months. Had this guy been stringing me along the whole time, knowing he was going to offer me a contract?
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Missy,” I said, without thinking.
Her eyes widened. Dammit. I had been overly familiar by using her first name. These old school Southern manners sometimes got the best of me, even though I’d been raised that way. “I’m so sorry, I should’ve called you Mrs. Hart. My mom would be disappointed in me.”
For some reason, both she and Garrison erupted into laughter.
I stood there, dumbfounded. What was so funny?
Suddenly, Garrison whistled, and a small, black and tan dachshund slowly entered the room.
She was obviously old. Her muzzle was totally gray, but she went to Garrison as fast as she could.
He picked her up in his arms, cradling her on her back like a baby.
“This here is Missy, Edward.” His eyes were sparkling. “My wife’s name is Libby.”
“Oh.” I felt like an idiot. I turned to Mrs. Hart. “I’m so sorry. When Garrison said I needed to come and meet Missy, I just assumed that was you.”
She smiled and waved her hand at me. “Oh, he loves that dog more than me. It doesn’t bother me a bit.”
“I’m going to get changed for tonight,” Garrison said, taking Missy with him.
“Fine, dear,” Libby said absently. “That will give me time to get acquainted with Edward.”
She then pulled me into the sitting room, sat me down, and quizzed me about my entire life.
She was nice and personable, but she could absolutely have had a career as an interrogator.
I offered up information that I hadn’t told anyone before.
This went on for at least a half hour, and my hands were starting to sweat.
I almost wouldn’t be surprised if she asked me to list my sexual partners next.
I started surreptitiously looking around for Garrison. I was ready for him to save me.
Finally, I heard his footsteps approaching.
Libby turned to her husband when he walked back through the room. He was holding a tux for me. “This one’s a keeper, Garrison. Let’s start planning his wedding to Nora now.”
I coughed a little to hide the sound of horror I almost made.
Libby laughed. “I’m just kidding, hon!”
I tried to hide my relief, but she and Garrison both laughed, so I didn’t think I was successful.
My smiled faded, though, when she added, “Y’all have to get to know each other first.”
Good lord. I’d be speeding away from them as soon as I had a signed contract in hand from Garrison. No way would I be marrying into the Hart family. I didn’t care what Nora looked like. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in a house just down the road a bit from Garrison.
Garrison looked at his watch. “Here, son, take this.” He indicated the tuxedo he was holding. “It’s time for you to get ready to go. I’ll have Madeline show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you.” I took the tuxedo from him, thinking it looked a little small for me, and followed a young, plump, blonde woman I assumed was Madeline up one side of the curved grand staircase that bisected the airy, atrium-style foyer.
She led me down a long hallway before turning into a luxurious bedroom attached to an equally impressive bathroom.
“Here you go,” she said, and smiled at me. “Do you need any help with your things?”
“No, thank you, I’ll be fine,” I smiled down at her, and she left.
“I guess I’d better get ready for the ballet,” I muttered to myself as I stared at my surroundings.
I had to find out about Cara, though. I couldn’t walk into the theater not knowing if I was about to see her or not.
I pulled out my phone to text Lufton, but I had no reception.
I shook my head. That was odd. I chalked it up to how far outside the city we were and hurried to get dressed.
I was nervous, even though I kept telling myself the chances of running into Cara at this ballet were slim to none.
She would surely have left Charleston after college for a ballet company in a bigger city.
Right?
Just the thought of seeing her again made my heart beat faster. But if I let myself stop to think about it, I was going to be late. Still, my hands shook as I pulled on the tuxedo pants and tried to stuff my arms through the sleeves of the shirt.
It was quickly apparent that Monty was not the same size as I was. He had to be both shorter and leaner. The tux was too short, and the jacket was so tight I looked like I was trying to rock an ‘athletic fit’ tuxedo and failing miserably.
God. How embarrassing. I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like a kid who’d outgrown his clothes since the last time he’d worn them. There was nothing I could do, though, so I finished getting ready and headed down the stairs to join the Hart family and go to the ballet.
So far, this had been one of the strangest days of my life.
***
As we were walking out to the car, a limousine this time, I noticed I had cell service again. I dropped back from the Harts and hurriedly texted Lufton to call me.
When the phone rang, I looked down. “Sorry, I have to take this really quick,” I said to Garrison, who frowned, but nodded.
“Just hurry, Ashton. We don’t want to be late,” he barked at me.
Libby smacked his arm and said, “Oh, hush! Nothing will happen if we’re late. We have our own seats, as you well know.”
Garrison grinned at her but still grumbled a bit in my direction.
I answered and pretended to be talking to a client until Mr. and Mrs. Hart had gotten in the car. We were apparently meeting their son, Monty, owner of the tiny tuxedo, at the theater.
I turned away from the limo and said in a low tone, “Is Cara Hargrave still in Charleston?”
“Hello to you, too, you freak. Why are you asking me that? What are you doing?”
“Just tell me! I don’t have time to explain.”
He huffed out a breath. “Look, Livy will kill me,” he said, using the nickname for Cara’s younger sister, Olivia.
“Come on, man.” I gave a nervous wave to Garrison, who was watching me out the window of the limo.
“Fine. Yes. She’s in Charleston. But why the hell do you want to know?”
“It’s a long, weird story, but I’m about to go to the ballet with a client who has sort of kidnapped me and I’m afraid it’s her ballet company…”
“What? Are you fucking with me?”
“No. I wish I was. Just tell me the name of the company.” I held up one finger and smiled in the direction of the car. Libby was now leaning forward and staring at me, too.
“It’s the Moonlight Ballet Company.”
“Fuck,” I groaned. “That’s where I’m headed. How much does she still hate me?” I closed my eyes, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“I don’t know.”
I frowned, my eyes popping open. “What the hell does that mean?”
“She literally never mentions you. At all. It’s almost like she never even knew you.”
“Huh.” Why was that somehow way worse than her hating me and calling me all kinds of names?
How could she just forget me—pretend I didn’t exist?
That was… humbling. Especially considering how much I thought about her.
“Thanks, man. I gotta go.” I hung up on him as he was asking if I was okay or really kidnapped.
Nerves were closing in on me as I got into the limo. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t avoid it.”
They were both gracious, but I could tell Garrison wasn’t thrilled to have had to wait on me. Libby talked to me the entire way to the theater, and I was relieved the normal, polite chit-chat with her took my mind off Cara.
Somewhat. Was Cara one of the main dancers? Would I even see her? Would she recognize me if I did? Would she be at the Harts’ party?
Once we got to the ballet, I followed the Harts inside the theater, glad to have them as a distraction. Maybe they didn’t even know Cara.
I hadn’t even had time to look at my program by the time the curtain opened. Garrison, who looked surprisingly at home in a tuxedo, had been busy introducing me to friends and family, all of whom sat near us in the Hart boxes. The seats literally had plaques with his name on them.
If someone had asked me that morning where I’d be spending my evening, I would never have guessed this in a million years.
I sat between Libby and Monty. He’d already been seated and ready for the show when we arrived. Libby introduced us, and I caught him staring at his tux on me with a slight smirk on his face.
“Nice fit on that tux.” He gave me a dismissive look and then turned back towards the stage as if he was mad to have been interrupted, even though he was just staring at the closed curtain.
It seemed Monty might have taken an instant dislike to me. Maybe it had something to do with me borrowing his clothes. Or maybe he was just kind of a douche.